Authors’ Resumé.

Arnoud J. Pollmann (Amsterdam,1943)

Has 30 years’ experience as a teacher of physics in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. From 1985 onwards he was also a teacher-trainer at the University of Nijmegen and contributed to numerous physics and science curricula.

From September 2000 until December 2001 he worked as a volunteer in Tarawa, the main Island of the Republic of Kiribati, together with his wife Paulien. He advised and assisted the CDRC, the Curriculum Department of the Ministry of Education of Kiribati, in constructing an Environmental Education curriculum for the primary schools. This work was done in close co-operation with many local Kiribati experts and regional NGOs like SPREP, SPC, FSP and WHO.

Paulien Hagers

Has 25 years’ experience as a teacher and special needs teacher in primary education in several positions in the Netherlands. In Kiribati she was the principal of the Red Cross School for Disabled Children.

In Kiribati she worked closely with this very vulnerable group in Kiribati society. The main goal was emancipation of disabled children. She co-operated with their parents, the teachers training college, health workers in the community and religious organisations.

Both were stationed in Kiribati by the British developmental organisation VSO (Volunteers Services Overseas), at the request of the Kiribati government and the Red Cross.